Woman&#39;s garment



Oct. 10, 1944-. STRUTHERS 2,359,804

WCMANS GARMENT Filed Jan. 25; 1941 Patented Oct. 10, 1944 WOMANS GARMENT George H. Struthers, Flushing, N. Y., assignor to Sears, Roebuck and 00., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Application January 23, 1941, Serial No. 375,639

3 Claims.

My invention relates to garments for women, and has to do more particularly with an improved brassire which may be used in combination with other garments of feminine wearing apparel, such as bathing suits, dresses, slips, etc.

A particular object of my invention is to provide an improved brassire which may be detachably secured in and to another garment and may be readily detachable therefrom for separate laundering or for use in another garment, if desired. I

Another object is to provide such an improved detachable brassire which will be simple in construction, which will impart to the bust the socalled molded or up-lift contours at present in vogue, and which, in general, will be entirely satisfactory for the purposes desired.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, these objects are attained by forming a brassiere of the type referred to of a material which is elastic in one direction and substantially inelastic in its transversed direction and is so cut and arranged as to take the maximum advantage of these characteristics, 1. e., so that yielding and non-yielding pressures, respectively, may be applied to the bust in different directions whereby the maximum molding effect may be obtained while securing elements are provided for detachably anchoring the brassire to an outer garment.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawing forming a part of this specification and illustrating a preferred form of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a back elevational view of a bathing suit to which has been applied a brassire embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a section-elevation taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. l and showing a portion of my improved brassire on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 3 is a plan view of my improved brassire in open position and detached.

Referring first to Fig. 3, my improved brassiere comprises a border portion formed of relatively inelastic material, such as bias tape or the like, and comprising a bottom border l0, side border portions l2, l2, the latter being outwardly curved or angular, and a V-shaped neck border portion 13 Elastic tapes l are secured in a continuation of bottom border It] and similar elastic tapes l6, 16 are secured in a continuation of the upper side border strips l2, the ends of these elastic tapes [5 and It being secured together as at IT, I'l. At these apices I1, I"! suitable securing elements, as for example snap fasteners 20, are provided. At the top apices 22, 22, or meeting points of the border strips l2 and I3, like attaching elements 20' are also provided.

Within the border strips are secured cup-. shaped bust receiving portions 25, 25, these two portions being preferably formed of two separate pieces of material seamed together as at 26. I preferably employ for these portions a material which is relatively elastic in one direction and relatively non-elastic in the direction at right angles to theone first mentioned. Various textil materials meet this description but I prefer to use a relatively light weight s c-called jersey material knitted from a suitable fiber, such as ,artificial silkor any other suitable textile fiber. This material is cut in sucha way that it is stretchable along the lines indicated by the arrows XX while being substantially inelastic in a direction perpendicular to these lines.

Each of the cup-shaped portions is formed from the lower part of a blank from which a substantial V-shaped portion has been cut, the sides forming the V-shaped opening being then joined along the seams 30, 30.

Along the lower edges 32, 32 of the cup-shaped portions 25 is secured a strip of material 35 I similar to that of the cup-shaped portions, said strip 35 being so arranged that it is stretchable in a vertical direction as indicated by the arrows YY.

It will be seen that the brassire described above provides a molding effect on the bust by reason of the stretchable nature of the material in an up and down direction. Because of its being non-yielding in a transverse direction, adequate support and confining effect is obtained, the breasts being firmly retained upwardly and separated.

The stretchable nature of the elastic tapes l5 and It enables the brassiere to adjust itself in a lateral direction according to the varied proportions of the individuals anatomy.

The brassiere just described may be detachably secured in any suitable garment. As shown in Fig. 1, it is attached to a bathing suit. It will be readily understood that the brassire, if desired, may likewise be detachably secured to any other garment which will provide adequate support therefor, such as, for example, a dress, slip, blouse or waist, etc.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the ba hing suit there illustrated, which, as previously stated, might be any other suitable typeof garment, comprises, roughly speaking, an upper or bodice portion 40 and a lower or skirt portion 45. The bodice portion is formed to include a pair of cup-shaped portions 42, 42, which may be similarly shaped to the cup-shaped portions 25 of the brassiere. It is highly desirable, especially in the case of a bathing suit, that this bodice portion be likewise formed of so-called one-way stretch material, although, of course, it is quite feasible that the entire bathing suit be formed of the same kind of material. This material is at present obtainable on the market in many attractive colors and finishes, one embodiment being known as Lastex and when employed for bathing suits having an attractive satin-like plain or printed outer surface. In any event, the cup-shaped portions 42, 42, of the bodice are preferably formed similarly to the corresponding portions of the brassiere so as to provide resilience or stretch in an up and down direction without any substantial yielding in a transverse or horizontal direction. The brassire is secured by means of suitable cooperating fastening elements such as eyelets (not shown) receiving the snaps 20 and placed at the apices 43, 43, of the cup-shaped portions 42, 42, and also at points adjacent the rear and sides of the waist 46. V

The skirt portion 45 is preferably made of the same kind of material as the bodice 40, and if made of such one-way stretch material, is cut in such a way that the yielding will be lateral rather than up and down. In this way the lower portion will yield to accommodate itself to hips of difierent proportions and will thus form a snug and trim fit. v Shoulder straps 41 of any suitable design may be provided, and, of course, it will be readily understood that the garment may be out according to a wide range of styles or designs to provide different retaining means as well as different esthetic effects without departing from the spirit of my invention. 7

Various modifications may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, hence, I do not wish to be restricted to the specific form shown or uses mentioned, except to the extent indicated in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a womans garment including a bodice, a brassire detachably secured in said bodice, said brassire comprising individual bust-containing pouches, a continuous strap connected to and coextensive with and depending from the lower edges of said pouches and formed to lie flat against the wearer immediately below the bust, the lower margin of said strap being substantially horizontal, elastic tape means secured to said lower margin and extending substantially horizontally beyond both ends thereof, elastice tape means joined to the outer ends of the aforesaid elastic tape means and to side portions of the respective pouches, and detachable fastening-means at the upper portions of said pouches and at the junctures of said tape means, cooperating with complemental fastening means .in adjacent portions of said bodice, said strap and each of said pouches being relatively yieldable in an up-and-down direction and relatively non-yieldable in a lateral direction.

2. In combination with a women's garment including a bodice, a brassiere including individual bust-containing pouches and a continuous strap connected to and transverselycoextensive with and depending from the lower edges of said pouches and formed to lie flat against the wearer immediately below the bust, said strap and each pouch being relatively yieldable in an upand-down direction and relatively non-yieldable in a lateral direction, detachable fastening means at the upper portions of the pouches engageable with cooperating means at the upper portions of the bodice, and detachable fastening means connecting said strap to the bodice adjacent the waistline thereof. V

3. In combination with a womans garment including abodice, a brassiere including individual bust-containing pouches and a continuous strap connected to and transversely co-extensive with and depending from the lower edges of said pouches and formed to lie fiat against the wearer immediatelybelow the bust, detachable fastening means at the upper'portions of the pouches engageable with cooperating means at the upper portions of the bodice, and detachable fastening means connecting said strap to the'bodice adjacent the waistline thereof.

GEORGE H. STRUTHERS. 

